slow recruitment and lost funding

There is a high relapse rate for patients who have undergone prostatectomy and have pathologic extracapsular prostate extension, positive surgical margins or seminal vesicle involvement (pathologic stage 3 disease). While adjuvant radiation improves progression-free and overall survival, approximately half of these patients will develop recurrence. Similarly, radiation therapy has become the standard salvage therapy for patients with rising PSA >0.1 - < 2.0 ng/mL. In common solid tumors such as NSCLC, head and neck cancer and upper gastrointestinal cancers, the addition of chemotherapy to radiation improves survival. It is hypothesized that the addition of radiosensitizing chemotherapy to standard adjuvant radiation will improve survival in patients with stage 3 prostate cancer after prostatectomy and patients with rising PSA < 2.0 ng.mL without detectable disease. Taxanes are powerful radiation enhancers since they synchronize tumor cells in G2/M the most radiosensitive phase of the cell cycle.17,18 Cabazitaxel is the most active taxane in the treatment of prostate cancer. Therefore, we propose a phase I study establishing the optimal dose of cabazitaxel with adjuvant radiation for stage 3 prostate cancer after prostatectomy (PSA undetectable - < 2.0 ng/mL). and for patients with persistent or rising PSA post prostatectomy (PSA >0.1 - < 2.0 ng/mL).

Conditions for Patient Eligibility

Each patient must meet all of the following inclusion criteria to be enrolled in the study:

• Radical prostatectomy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate with at least one of the following:

  • Extracapsular tumor extension,
  • Positive surgical margins,
  • Seminal vesicle invasion
  • Regional lymph node positive (N1)
  • Post-prostatectomy PSA of > 0.1 - < 2.0 ng/mL at least 6 weeks after prostatectomy and within 30 days of registration in a patient with T2 or T3 disease at prostatectomy.

• No distant metastases.

• No prior pelvic or prostate radiation or chemotherapy for prostate cancer.

• ECOG performance status 0-1.

• Age>18.

• Required entry laboratory parameters within 14 days of study entry: Granulocytes ≥ 1500 cells/mm3; platelet count ≥100,000 cells/mm3, Creatinine ≤ 1.5X upper limit of normal (if creatinine clearance 1.0-1.5x ULN, creatinine clearance will be calculated according to Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Group formula and patients with creatinine clearance < 60 ml/min should be excluded),19 .Hgb > 9.0 g/dl, total bilirubin ≤ 1x ULN, and AST or ALT ≤ 2.5 x ULN.

• Life expectancy of at least 1 year.

• Must not have uncontrolled severe, intercurrent illness.

• No concurrent anticancer therapy.

• Men of childbearing potential must be willing to consent to using effective contraception while on treatment and for at least 3 months thereafter.

• Signed study-specific consent form prior to study entry.

• Conditions for Patient Ineligibility

Patients meeting any of the following exclusion criteria are not to be enrolled in the study:

• Evidence of distant metastases (M1). Equivocal bone scans are allowed if plain films are negative for metastasis.
• Major medical or psychiatric illness which, in the investigator's opinion, would prevent completion of treatment and would interfere with follow-up.
• Prior invasive malignancy (except non-melanomatous skin cancer) unless disease free for a minimum of 2 years (For example, carcinoma in situ of the oral cavity or bladder are permissible).
• History of severe hypersensitivity (> grade 3) reaction to Cabazitaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80.
• History of severe hypersensitivity (> grade 3) to docetaxel.
• Any uncontrolled severe, intercurrent illness (including uncontrolled diabetes)
• At least 4 weeks since any major surgery.
• Patients on concurrent anticancer therapy.
• PSA > 2ng/ml
• Concurrent or planned treatment with strong inhibitors or inducers of cytochrome p450 3A4/5 (a one-week wash out period is necessary for patients who are already on these treatments (see appendix H and I)
• Androgen deprivation therapy started prior to prostatectomy for > 6 months duration;
• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to prostatectomy;
• Prior cryosurgery or brachytherapy of the prostate; prostatectomy should be the primary treatment and not a salvage procedure;
• Prior pelvic radiotherapy;

From time of informed consent to approximately 30 days post last dose of drug- approximately 3 months.